Fuel and lubricant mixer



Oct. 10, 1961 J. J. COLONNA 3,003,521

FUEL AND LUBRICANT MIXER Filed Oct. 25, 1957 %emey United rates This invention relates to mixing devices for mixing gasoline and oil to be supplied to the fuel tank of an engine such as an outboard engine.

One of the characteristics of construction of an outboard engine is that it must obtain its lubrication through the path of the fuel supplied to the engine, so the engine may be otherwise sealed against water and spray. The gasoline itself is therefore used as the vehicle or carrier for the lubricating oil.

For proper operation of the engine, the fuel must be properly atomized in a mixture of proper air content. Consequently, the proportion of oil mixed into the gasoline must be properly controlled.

Since the fuel tank of an outboard engine will ordinarily be filled from a conventional gasoline service pump at a reasonable pressure, it would be desirable to be able to mix the lubricating oil into the gasoline fed into the gas tank of the engine.

The object of this invention is to provide a mixing device which will serve to entrain a properly proportioned mix of oil into a stream of gasoline being supplied or fed to the gas tank of an outboard engine.

The mixing device embodies a portable container or can that serves as a container to store the oil as a reserve supply between mixing periods when the gas tank is being filled. A fuel feed pipe is supported by the can and has a Venturi section to which is coupled an aspirating tube dipping into the oil in the can, the stream of fuel aspirates a relatively fixed average proportion of the oil into the fuel stream for immediate mixing.

The construction and method of operation of the mixing device are described in the following specification in connection with the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the mixing device, with parts broken away to expose the general construction of the device; and

FIGURE 2 is a side view partly in elevation and partly in section of the aspiration tube connected to the Venturi of the feed-through pipe.

As shown in the drawings, a fuel and oil mixer 19, of this invention comprises a hollow vessel or container 11 to receive and hold a quantity of mixing liquid or oil 12-, that is to be mixed or entrained into a stream of fuel, such as gasoline, as the fuel passes through a feed-through pipe or fuel supply conduit 15 that is supported on the vessel 11, and here shown as extending through the open chamber or reservoir in the vessel 11 and supported in fixed position between top wall 17 and side wall 18 of the vessel 11. The oil is poured into the vessel 11 through the port of a filling spout 16 provided with a vented cover cap 19.

in order that the mixer may be self-operating, the pipe 15 is provided with a Venturi constriction 20 to which is coupled an aspiratory tube 21 whose free end 22 extends down to a bottom level in the vessel 11.

The upper or inlet end 25 of pipe 15 is fitted with a tubular coupling 26 of rubber-like material having a forwardly tapered bore 27 for receiving and tightly fitting a feed or supply nozzle usually found on the end of the feed hose 29 of a conventional gasoline supply pump. The inlet coupling 26 fits sufficiently tightly to prevent backward leakage of the gasoline that would otherwise result from the reaction pressure of the narrowed portion of the Venturi in the feed-through pipe 15. The coupling is supported and re-inforced in fixed position at the end of atent ice pipe 15 by an encircling metallic cylinder 28 that is rigidly welded or soldered to the top wall or cap 17 of the vessel 11 to provide rigid backing to the coupling 26. As shown in FIG. 1, a rod or the like constituting a handle is connected to and extends between the spent 16 and the cylinder 28 whereby the mixer 10 may be readiiy supported and manipulated by the user.

By means of the construction shown, the supply of oil preferred by the user may be kept in the vessel 11 so it will be available when wanted for mixing into the gasoline as it is being supplied to his outboard engine.

The pressure of the gasoline stream through the feed pipe 15 is sufficient to aspirate the oil from the vessel into the stream for mixing. The proportion of mix will be governed by the design dimensions of the Venturi system. The proportion of oil desired may be thus readily mixed into the gasoline as it is being supplied for use in the engine.

The aspirating tube 21 could be connected to the feed pipe 15 at various points along the length of pipe 15. Such connection is preferably made as shown, however, outside of vessel 11, to permit a tubular Window 40 to be connected as part of the conduit constituting the aspirating tube 21, so movement of the oil 12 may be seen as it is aspirated into the stream of gasoline being supplied to the user.

Obviously, variations in the shape and size of the parts of the mixer may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Similarly the coupling may be made of any suitable material that is resilient and compressible, to be self-restoring to original size and shape. Since the moving stream of gasoline might generate a static charge on such rubber-like material, the coupling material is preferably made with a content of electroccnductive material, such as carbon, to leak any such charge to the metal can for discharge without harmful accumulation.

What is claimed is:

A portable fuel and lubricant mixer comprising a closed hollow vessel having a chamber therein and constituting a reservoir for a mixing liquid, said vessel having a spout, a fuel supply conduit having an imperforated section traversing and extending downwardly through said reservoir, said conduit having a constriction above said section, said conduit having a fuel receiving upper end disposed outside of said vessel and above said chamber for coupling to a fuel source and a fuel discharging lower end terminating beyond said reservoir and outside of said vessel for connection to a fuel receiving tank to permit a continuous flow of fuel through said supply conduit from said source to said tank, a rod member providing a handie spaced above said vessel and interconnected with said spout and the upper portion of said conduit disposed outside said vessel, and an aspiratory discharge conduit having an upper end communicating with said supply conduit through said constriction above said vessel and a lower end opening into and terminating in said chamber in proximity to the bottom of said chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 992,802 Purdy May 23, 1911 1,029,718 Rohrbacher June 18, 1912 1,354,244 Clifford Sept. 28, 1920 2,391,048 Vose Dec..18, 1945 2,404,549 Thomas July 23, 1946 2,612,998 Smith Oct. 7, 1952 2,707,480 Kloss May 3, 1955 2,716,770 Caldwell Sept. 6, 1955 FOREEGN PATENTS 89,009 Switzerland Apr. 16, 1921 

